Question:After completing my first marathon this spring, I am now trying to
improve my time on the 1/2 marathon. I am not a fast runner
(marathon was 3:50, 1/2 marathon around 1:42), but would like to
become a bit faster. However, I find it very difficult to find
good training advice for this distance. This in contrast for the
marathon itself, for which many books have been written, very
detailed training schedules can be found almost anywhere, etc.
I know I will have to do some speedwork on shorter distances, but
what would you recommend: speedwork on 5k, 10k, intervals?
I know it 's different for each person, but I am curious for other peoples
experiences.
Answer:
News note this morning: "Oprah runs a half marathon",
along with a photo that looks so slim that you would never recognize who it
was. It seems Oprah Winfrey, the US TV talk show personality, lost 50 lbs in
5 months training and entered the San Diego Half Marathon last Sunday under
the pseudonym of Bobby Jo Jenkins.
She finished in 2:16:03. She said, "People told me running would be fun. When
I first started training, I said, 'What's fun about this?' But today was a
lot of fun."
Who the f*ck cares what Oprah does? Did she win or place in the race?
her age group? her sex? her weight class? Has she contributed anything
to the sport? She lied on her race application. She wouldn't even
give her own name on the application.
Maybe I should get the next race results from the Bay to Breaker race
and post some 60,000 articles saying "X runs the Bay To Breakers".
I don't mean to flame the poster and I apologize to him but I sick of
only reading about race events when a celebrity runs it. It's bad
enough to see that crap in the newspaper do I have to see it here?
Her example might inspire thousands of people to improve their health
through exercise. She tried and failed the fad diet way, now it sounds
like she something more sensible. Considering that 52% of Americans
don't exercise at all according to a recent survey,
only 3% jog/run on a regular basis, every bit of inspiration helps.
I think even in this case she is over-doing it and risks injury.
Zero to 13 miles in five months is a pretty high ramp up
especially for someone her age (also my age).
Perhaps you've been overtraining a bit??? ;-) True, who really cares
about Oprah running a 1/2-marathon, but then again, who really cares
about which shoe brand is the *best*, definitions of runner/jogger,
whatever (doesn't) trip your trigger. To run 13.1 miles is not
a trivial deal, especially when you are the size of Oprah.
I'm sure there are millions who care about every little thing that Oprah does.
Sounds a bit elitist to me. It is encouraging that a person with a severe
weight problem can lose the pounds and *complete* a half marathon. And why
does she have to "contribute" to the sport?
Oh, sure, just put "Oprah Winfrey" down and watch the paraparazzi descend.
She was doing the other racers a favor. Maybe she just wanted her privacy.
Sounds like you got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
Look, a prominent person runs in a race, and that's news. A prominent person
gets married, that's news. A prominent person stubs their toe, that's
news. It's called "being a public figure". If Oprah runs in the Bay to
Breakers, believe me, it'll be on the news. Save yourself the trouble.
What's particularly interesting about this story? A prominent person who has
had well publicized problems with her weight completed a half marathon.
Perhaps this will inspire other couch potatoes, those millions who tune into
Oprah every day. If Oprah can inspire just one other to lose the weight
and get into shape, she's contributed as far as I'm concerned.
Actually it gives me a boost to see someone else who is not a "Perfect
Runner" (Tm) out there. I have never done a half, but seeing that she can makes
me a bit more firm in my belief that I can eventually. I like to see anyone
running, especially people who are notPerfect Runners, and because of who she
is oprah will bring more people to running, especially out of shape couch
potatoes. These people are probably never going to come in first in anything,
but they may actually cross the finish line, sorry that isn't enough for you.
